Did you give up for 2 months and bounced back?

yes, I did that this year, but i am down 11 pounds and i feel good about bouncing back!

MOUNTAINGIRL41
Posts:
139
5/25/13 3:04 P

This could be me...except change 2 months to almost a year of false starts, etc.

After thinking about it, all of my recent false starts have involved not really using Sparkpeople 100% the way I did when I first joined and found such easy success. It was easy because I used ALL of the tools on the website.

So, using this reflection, I will definitely be on the message boards more, blogging more, etc. It really does work and one never feels deprived if you are really eating correctly. I just have to put the time in to really work it correctly and I am definitely worth the time.

As someone mentioned before, try to think about what pulled you away from your previous success. Identifying that issue and hopefully resolving it may be your answer!

I started my journey 5.5 years ago. I lost 40 pounds in the first 9 months ... then regained 33 pounds over about 2 years as I fell off the wagon after breaking my ankle and developing hypothyroidism. I could blame my health for my backslide -- and it would be true, but it's also true that I could have reacted better to those challenges. Instead, I used them as an excuse to gain weight.

About 2 years ago, I "started over" very seriously again. And as I hope you can see from my tracker and my icon, I have now re-lost the weight I had re-gained and then some. I just keep trying to move forward each day ... each week ... each month. I hope to lose another 25 pounds over the course of the next 2 years.

i fell off the wagon for the last 3 months...i did not slide right off but i did enjoy a few treats i had not eaten in the 6 months previously. i must admit i did cut down on exercise too. I would exercise but not in a strict regiment. Do not worry about it just get back on the horse now. Every day is a new beginning it does not do well to dwell on the past .

I give all new members and anyone who will listen to me one piece of advice and it's this,"Don't look at good health or weight loss with an all or nothing mentality". If the only healthy thing you did for yourself today was drink 8 glasses of water, that's still a step in the right direction.

good health isn't "all or nothing". Every little bit really does make a difference. Stop trying to be perfect. You don't have to be perfect to be healthy.

BUNNYKICKS
Posts:
2,433
5/24/13 1:41 P

I think it is pretty normal to have one (or more) "false starts" as part of the whole process. As others have said, don't mourn "lost time." Lots of things need to click into place before a person can embark on a successful major-life-change - it takes time. I know that I approached the starting line a few times with an earnest "i have to do something about this" attitude... but I needed something more to "click" before I was able to shift to an "I AM doing something" attitude. I don't consider it wasted-time, but rather, necessary prep-work that helped lay the foundation for my ultimate success.

SASSYBRUN
Posts:
192
5/24/13 12:15 P

Good point Sarah!

SARAHF1988
Posts:
603
5/24/13 5:16 A

Losing weight has to stay a positive thing. Don't worry about the time you've lost, just be happy that you've made the decision to change NOW and that in 3 months time you will have changed greatly. Always look forward and not behind, the past is gone but the future is in your hands for the taking. Just make sure you do it right this time! Good luck!

DASHKATH
Posts:
862
5/24/13 4:42 A

When I've had a lot of weight to lose (80 lbs) I would stay on plan for 3-6 mos then I would take a 3 month "break." Durning my break I didn't focus on losing weight. I would just maintain what I had lost without the emphasis on losing. It helped me get the drive back to get back into weight loss mode.

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